A Better Union
by Kyle Lemieux
Summary: The collectors are defeated and Shepard's short relationship with the Illusive man is now over. With the new threat of an army of Reapers it is up to Shepard and his team to Form an army capable to defeat them, as the Illusive man plots his revenge.
1. Chapter 1

**The beginning of the story has to do with Liara and Shepard on the Normandy after the Shadow Broker mission, the collectors are destroyed and Shepard needs to talk about his relationship with Tali. **

"Shepard, I am glad for you, I truly am" Liara states as she sits on the edge of Shepard's bed. "you love her, you want to give Tali a home on her home-world."

"Tali means a lot to me its true" Shepard places his hand on liara's shoulder "you know I care for you, but we can never be. Not anymore"

" I saw how Tali looked at you back on the Normandy, the way she idolized you, the way she talked about your accomplishments." She smiled at Shepard the same smile he knew those many years ago but to him felt just like yesterday. "I'm happy for you Shepard,I will always be here to help you."

Shepard just looked at her for a while "you knew she liked me back then? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want the competition." Another smile "I have had my time with you and I will never forget it, now its time for you to be with someone who is obviously obsessed with you."

Shepard finally let a laugh out, "thank you Liara, please don't be a stranger, I do enjoy your company, so does Tali you should go see her on the way out." He walked to his desk to pour another glass of wine, he offers Liara a drink but she refuses.

"Shepard, I know what you tell your crew to keep moral up, but how are you feeling honestly?" she got off the bed and moved to look straight at him, she knew him too well for him to be able to lie to her now.

" Honestly, I am scared. We defeated the collectors but the reapers are coming. If we are to survive I know I need to unite all the known races into an army to defeat them. It seems so very impossible."

"Don't make me laugh Shepard, your whole career has been doing the impossible, I have faith in you." Moving closer to the door she reaches for her bag on the floor. She takes something out and gets back up. Handing the object to him "Remember, the Shadow Broker now has your back, I wont let you do this blind, I have a mission now and I wont fail you"

Looking at the object Shepard quickly realizes that it is his old dog tags. "these..thank you Liara" he moves toward her and embraces her in a hug. " I know you wont fail me."

After leaving the embrace Liara opens the door to the elevator. "thank you for the wonderful time, I wish you and Tali the best."

"Keep in touch" Said Shepard as he sat on the edge of his bed facing the elevator.

"Don't worry, I will" she says just as the doors close in front of her.

Once within the elevator Liara presses the button for deck four. The elevator starts to descend. _Sheppard's right, I should go speak with Tali as well, if I know her at all she may feel like she is stealing him from me. _The door opens and Liara steps out. The dull hum of engineering could be heard throughout the floor. entering the door she walks the metal hallway until she reached the second door and stopped. After that pause she finally let out a sign and entered the door. She saw two engineers she had not recognized arguing about one thing or another and as she was distracted Tali Hugged her from behind

"Liara! Its been to long, what can I do for you" she released the embrace and they faced each other

"Its good to see you Tali, I thought I would stop by before leaving"

"Ah yes, how did your talk with Shepard go? If I can intrude." Said Tali realizing how rude she must have been. She began to fumble with her hands

"It went well Tali, I want to say you two make a cute couple." Liara smiled as Tali twirled her fingers around each other

"Ah.. well yes I mean we are, we I mean I would like to say you guys were well I'm happy."

Liara let out a laugh. "Don't worry yourself so much Tali, I mean it, Shepard may seem unstoppable, but even he needs someone to make him happy, and he wants you…trust me I know him enough to see it"

"Well its good to know our commander has a human weakness" Tali and Liara turn to the two engineers.

"Don't interrupt them Kenneth. They are having a moment"

"I didn't mean to interrupt, I just felt that it needed saying"

"Kenneth you're interrupting, please excuse us we will be getting back to work now."

Both Tali and Liara laughed at that "don't worry about it, speaking of which I think I should be heading off, it was great talking to you Tali" Liara gives Tali a hug and starts to head to the door

"Liara! Before you go I wish to tell you something."

"Yes tali?"

Tali smiles, while no one can tell Liara sees Tali's eyes brighten "Thanks, for everything"

"Yes, now do try to keep him out of trouble, well more then normal that is." Said Liara

"Not without me at least." Tali watched as Liara walked away out of sight. Turning back to her console she gets back to work _Its good to know Liara approves of us. Oh John what have you done to me. My shining knight in armor. _She laughs to herself as Ken and Gabby just look to each other and shrug.

"Did I miss something?" said Ken right before he got an elbow in his gut.

Shepard entered floor 3 and walked over to see joker. He knew that the reapers were coming and he hoped to get to the council in time to arrange the material needed to form an army. He knew that with the council's approval this whole process would go through so much simpler.

"Hey Joker head to the citadel, I need to see the council."

"Yes sir right away." Was the response. Leaving the bridge shepherd bumped into Miranda. She was holding a notebook and had been writing something within it.

"Hello john, care to come with me to my office I need to talk to you about what are plans are to be."

"Yes oh course. EDI please tell anyone who is looking for me that I am in Miranda's office for business."

"Of course" was her automatic response."


	2. Chapter 2

_**This is my second submission to my story. thank you to everyone who leaves me comments and suggestions. i hope that as time goes on i will get better at my writing and it will be enjoyable to my audience. if there is anything that anyone can say to help make me a better writer please leave me a comment. i hope you enjoy the next section of "A Better Union" **_

Once in the office Miranda sat down and opened up her notebook to a new page.

"It is time for us to make some kind of game plan."

Shepard smiled and nodded his head after sitting down himself he began to explain the situation.

"We are currently on course to the citadel. After I have a talk with the council I plan to ready the galaxy for the threat posed by the reaper invasion."

"Yes of course and in order to do that you must see that you cannot be everywhere at once, we will have to be strategic in who we go to and hope then when the threat arrives that others will join in."

"Normally I would agree with you, however I have the fastest ship in the galaxy and the strongest crew to go with it. I will want to have a meeting with everyone as soon as I am finished talking to the council." Miranda was writing a few notes as he spoke and then nodded her head

"I can make sure that everything is set up as you are meeting with the council. Also I will take the liberty of stocking up on supplies while we are planet side."

"That sounds good, thank you Miranda."

"Commander, Garrus would like to see you in the mess hall when you are available." EDI said as her image appeared on the pedestal. With a nod shepard got up and said goodbye to Miranda. Just before he left the office Miranda said something

"Commander, I'm worried about my sister. She is in Cerberus hands now."

"I promise you, I will find her and make sure she is safe. You have my word."

"Thank you commander."

Garrus was sitting at the mess hall when Shepard approached. Shepard took a seat next to Garrus.

"Hello my good friend, how may I help you?"

"Hello Shepard, I have been thinking lately. Do you remember all the horrible things we saw Cerberus do back when we were fighting Saren? The experiments, the brutality?"

"How could I ever forget?"

"Then you know that they will do the same to us. We were treated well because we were valuable. Now that we are no longer such I am certain that they will be merciless when it comes to finding and destroying us."

"Of course they will, but we have destroyed Cerberus before I am sure we can do it again, just show them your face, they will start running."

"HA! Shepard don't make me laugh. What I mean to say is that we need to strike at them before they have a chance to do the same to us."

"I agree completely Garrus, but my biggest concern is to ready the forces needed to destroy the Reapers."

"Exactly, that is why I am proposing that you let me lead a small team to infiltrate Cerberus and sabotage them from the inside out." Shepard sat back on his chair to think.

"Let me postpone this to a later date my friend. After we meet with the council I will be having a meeting where we can all discuss the future together."

"I understand, here I go back to the citadel, seems I can never truly get away."

"Well at least you have a specter watching your back."

"More likely that you need me to watch yours with all the trouble you get yourself into." They both joined in a laugh.


	3. Chapter 3

**_I would like to thank everyone who has given me advice on how to better this story. i would love to hear any reviews, they have been really helpful. now on to the next part of "A Better Union." hope you enjoy._**

Shepard entered the citadel's Presidium with Tali and Garrus. As hard as they all tried to just get to councilor Anderson's office without incident, they were too famous not to get noticed. While crossing the bridge a young human who was looking out to the water below noticed the group and approached

"Oh my god it really is you, the great Shepard and the team that saved the citadel. its an honor sir."

Garrus gave Shepard a look and he just shrugged. Comes with the territory. Turning to face the man Shepard nodded to him

" Thank you but I really am quite busy so if you could, thank you."

They then passed the awe struck man and Tali grabbed onto Shepard's hand. Garrus gave a knowing chuckle and nodded to the two. Shepard could tell Tali was nervous with this public display of their affection so he decided to put his arm around her side and continue walking a small smile crossing his lips.

"Shepard.." Tali all but whispered and calmed a little within his embrace.

If the pair shocked people he gave them no notice. He needed to show Tali that no matter where they were he would never shy from showing he loved her.

Tali looked up at Shepard her bright eyes were all he could see and they were beautiful.

"Do you know what you are going to say to the Council?" Said Tali

"That we need them to start mobilizing an army. As long as I can get them to do that we can handle the rest."

"If they agree to do it that is. The council has a history of not listing to you until it is to late." Said Garrus.

By then they had reached Andersons office and Shepard had let go of Tali's side to resume holding her hand. Garrus was right, but it didn't mean they shouldn't try. They did give him his specter status back after all.

"Lets open this door and find out then." Said Shepard.

* * *

Councilor Anderson was already talking with the other Councilors when Shepard's team arrived. Turning to Shepard they all greeted him in turn.

"Welcome back. I am glad to hear that your relationship with Cerberus is finally over." Said the Asari Councilor.

"Now what can we do for you?" said the Salarian

"And it is good to see you again" stated Anderson before the official talks truly began.

Shepard nodded to each in turn and then decided to get down to business. Taking out the holocard that showed the incoming Reaper fleet he handed it to the Councilors.

"This is one of the biggest threats we have ever seen. You remember the damage that just one of these things did to the citadel."

"Troubling indeed" stated the Salarian.

"Yes, but what do you want us to do about it exactly" said the Turian

Catching his breath for a moment Shepard thought of the best way to word his next response.

"I am proposing that the Council begins preparation into forming an fleet capable of defending council space from the coming invasion. "

The room was quite for a while as the words sank in. the councilors looked at each other for a second.

"You see, the credits it would take to do this would be staggering. Not to mention the fear it would cause to the people." Said the Asari

"But it has to be done." Stated Anderson

"And will the Alliance pay for this endeavor?" said the Turian

"It would be up to everyone to pay for the costs" said Shepard

"That is all well and good, but what if this 'Reaper' fleet doesn't even come. What if this is all miss information given to you by Cerberus?" said the Turian

Shepard clenched his fist and Tali nudged him to remind him that he was still holding her hand. He could see this was getting nowhere.

"why must you always wait until the last moment to believe me, you must have the whole citadel crashing down before you, and then you finally understand that I was right!"

Tali squeezed his hand gently and looked up at him, her eyes told him that he needed to calm down. Squeezing back to show her he understood he addressed the council once more.

"Think about it, just promise me that. If I can be excused I must now return to the Normandy."

The Councilors all nodded their approval

"We shall think about it." said the Asari


	4. Chapter 4

**_sorry to anyone who is interested in my story. this is a massively late update to the story. i am really writing this as i go and this chapter might be bad but hopefully my next update will be a lot better to make up for this dialogue filled chapter. thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my story, feel free to leave me a review. _**

Legion surveyed the ship as he completed his tour of the Normandy. Entering the Bridge he noticed Thane standing near the opposite wall watching the crew members rush around collecting new supplies and fixing areas that have been weakened since their last stop. They looked a lot like the Geth in this regard and legion made a note of this assessment.

"Greetings, Thane"

"Hello legion."

"This platform has a question if it may."

"Go ahead. I will answer if I can."

"This one wonders if Shepard could ever convince the organics to trust the Geth. We fear that if that cannot be done we will be forced to fight on our own, or another solution being to go deeper into deep space."

Legions flaps moved frequently as he waited for the response. Thane stayed silent for a moment and then nodded to Legion.

"I trust in Shepard. And I know that he can do what others see as impossible, and another thing I know is that he cares for all his crew as his brothers and sisters. He will help you legion."

"We understand this, but even so this platform fears he may not be able to convince others to think as he does."

"Maybe not alone, but he is not alone, he has us. I am confident that together it will be done. After all you have done to help stop the collectors I cannot see how they could think otherwise."

"We thank you for you time, we must now reach a contentious on this information."

"Of course legion. " Thane nodded his head and watched him go.

Thane wondered when Shepard would return. However his thought was lost when Kasumi materialized in front of him.

"What fun that legion is don't you think?" she ask with a playful smile.

"Indeed." That girl always seemed to get her nose into issues that were not her own. She was however quite good at it.

"It humors me how all of us seem to have one issue or another that we need help with. We are so needy, I don't know how Shepard even deals with all of it."

"Shepard does it because he cares for his people, not because he must."

"Well yes of course but still, he is only one person."

"As are any of us."

"Touché', this was fun and all but I shall be off now. Go do your Thane stuff now, Cya!" Thane watched her run off until she disappeared. That one has so much life, Thane couldn't help but smile slightly as he thought about the conversations he had just by standing on the bridge. Finally deciding that he was hungry he started to the elevator and sent it down to the mess hall.

"I hope Gardner has some good food today."


	5. Chapter 5

"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts." ~John Locke

The walk back to the Normandy seemed to talk longer than it took to get to the Council. Shepard didn't mind though. He had his love Tali's hand clasped in his and his best friend Garrus by his side. The presidium was beautiful today with people going about their lives. Sometimes he envied them, the way that they never had to worry about how fragile their lives really were. For them the reapers were only a story, not a real threat.

"What are you thinking?" asked Tali. "You seem very distracted." She was looking at him, her glowing eyes seen through her mask. Even with the lake sparkling nearby the only beauty he saw at that moment was her. He must have took longer to respond then he meant to because she turned her head to one side and asked the same. This time Garrus turned to look at them as well.

"The presidium is beautiful isn't it?" Said Shepard. It was true. To one side of them was the lake, with its fountains shooting clear water into the sky. To the other side were the buildings, boxlike almost like a bunker in a mountaintop. Yet they had a blue tint that matched the nearby water perfectly. And laced all around were spots of green trees bursting with life. It was as peaceful as could be.

"I think you are thinking something else is beautiful if you ask me." Said Garrus. He was such a smartass, but he always seemed to be right. Tali squeezed tighter on his hand and he could swear he saw her smiling the way her visor lit up. Garrus chuckled and made some wisecrack about lovebirds. He didn't quite catch it all himself but Tali must have

"You do realize I still have my shotgun with me!" she said as she pushed him. Brushing himself off he gave her an offended look. "oh shutup, it didn't hurt." She said.

Shepard felt the explosion before he even saw it. A nearby building crumbled before them and came crashing down blocking their path. Debris fell into the lake with a mighty splash. The explosion even caught a few trees aflame. They covered their eyes and stumbled back a few steps in the confusion but training allowed them to quickly recover from this momentary shock. From the way they had just past stood 6 heavily armed men. They were human, with black armor that looked spray-painted and at least three different weapons per man. They all wore helmets that matched their armor. The leader had red power-armor but no helmet like the rest. He had long blonde hair and a nasty scar on his neck. His eyes were a dark brown and his skin was tan. walked up to them.

"Commander Shepard, my name is Jelke Van Elden. I was told to give you one chance to come with us peacefully. The Illusive man wants you alive." He had a smile from cheek to cheek and Shepard knew he could not be trusted on his word. People only smile that big when they are up to something.

"Fuck you! I told him I was done with him and his organization!" Shepard got in front of Jelke. In response Jelke just shrugged.

"Fine, I can always blame this on the Salarians." Jelke pulled out a pistol and fired. Before Shepard could even react Tali pushed him out of the way but not until a few bullets ripped through his shoulder as they fell. Hitting the ground he felt a sharp pain. Tali was by his side, Shotgun at the ready. Jelke laughed as he turned around and walked away.

"Time for my men to have a little fun. Get um boys!"

"You son of a bitch!" said Garrus. He pulled out his assault rifle and started firing. A few shots glanced off of Jelke's shield the other hit the group of men who started to advance on them. He took out two men before they even got to cover. The others ducked under debris and walls firing at uneven intervals.

Jelke walked away from the battle leaving his men to deal with them. Shepard tried to shoot him with his good arm but every shot missed. As Shepard tried to get up a pain shot through his body and he moaned. Tali held him up and together they got to cover. Applying medigel to his shoulder he fired at the men. After taking one out he and Garrus attempted to flank the two remaining enemies. With Tali taking point they took out the two remaining men quickly. Garrus came behind his victim and shot him in the back. He was too busy firing at Shepard to even see it coming. As the last man attempted to run away Shepard calmly aimed and fired, dropping him in seconds. It was then, after the gunfight ended and the fires slowly burned out that C-sec finally arrived at the scene.

\_**H**_**_ere is my 5th chapter finally after a long absence. in this chapter a added a new character, and gave my protagonist the first of many obstacles to overcome. i hope you liked this chapter and the ones that will come after. thanks for reading!_**


	6. Chapter 6

A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon. ~Napoleon

* * *

Jelke was looking out the window of his starship, the Utopia. The citadel was never his kind of place and he was happy to leave it. Too many damn aliens. They are good for nothing; even that Quarian bitch foiled his plan by pushing Commander Shepard out of the way of his bullet. He could have killed that alien loving basterd. He had everything set up to make the Salarians take the blame too, such a waste of time. Walking over to the briefing room he called the Illusive Man. The hologram came to life in front of him.

"What do you have to report Jelke, and where is Shepard?" the Illusive Man said. He took a long drag on his cigarette.

"We had some complications. The men I got were worthless, cant even kill three people. I had to let them get away. Shepard refused you generous offer sir." Jelke wished the illusive man could see the benefits of Shepards death, he was so much better off dead then alive for Cerberus' cause.

"I didn't send those men to kill Shepard, I told them to help you escort him to me."

"But Shepard refused you. Give me more men and more resources and I will make sure he is never a problem ever again."

"And how with these resources help Cerberus' cause? Killing a human wont raise human sympathies."

"It will if we can set another race up to fail because of it. think of it sir, and alien Race killing the only Human Specter and a open supporter galactic unity at that."

The Illusive Man was quite for a while. Jelke was almost disappointed in this man. He was supposed to be a visionary, a beacon of hope to the human race. If he refused this offer Jelke would have to find someone better who will.

"Very well, you will have it. If his death is pinned on Cerberus however, I will have you destroyed." He took another drag on his cigarette. "it's a pity Shepard wouldn't listen to me. We could have done so much for humans."

"You don't need him sir. I will fix everything, you have my word." Jelke terminated the call after the Illusive Man's hologram disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

I have not yet begun to fight!

**John Paul Jones **

The Illusive Man had many operations going on at the same time. If he was good at anything it was gathering information and then acting upon it. Jelke was only one of the Illusive man's many operatives, and yet he was one of the few who were able to see the Illusive Mans face. Yet Jelke was very Rash, The Illusive Man preferred patience himself. However he could see the uses of a man such as this. To top it all off he was good at what he did.

The Blue glow of the star he chose his station to orbit flooded his small observatory. The room was mostly empty beside his chair and the computer system he used to store all his information. While the blue glow lit up most of the room there were still a few spot covered in darkness. In one of these spots stood a man with noticeable Asian traits just barley visible where he stood.

The Illusive man lifted his right hand a gestured this man to him. In response he slowly walked out of the shadow to stand besides the Illusive Man. on the back of his neck was his trademark tattoo; a snake eating its own tail.

"Tell me what you think of Jelke's proposal Kai Leng?" after these words he took a deep drag of his cigarette. Kai turned to face him and put a hand on his shoulder getting his face close to the Illusive man's ear.

"He's right to want Shepard dead" said Kai Leng.

That response amused the Illusive Man. after all the money he spent to bring Shepard back to life, any other Cerberus officer would explain how Shepard was better off alive. Even if they didn't believe it themselves they would never admit he spent billions of credits on a lost cause. Kai Leng however spoke the truth. He liked that About Kai. That was a major reason he had him as his right hand man.

"Shepard wont go down easy. Said the Illusive Man. Kai Leng only Smiled.

"No, but I know some people who just might have what it takes. Give me the word and I will send Jelke the contact information."

Efficient, just the way the Illusive Man liked it. He nodded his approval and turned to face the Blue star directly.

"Do it. "

* * *

**_Im back! i had such a long hiatus but i hope to get back on the writing train. if you have any comments feel free to contact me. i hope you enjoy update #7 and my return to _**


	8. Chapter 8

**"Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if You'll die today." ~James Dean**

Tali never much cared for C-Sec. they claimed to be the police force of the citadel and yet Quarians were treated as second-class citizens. C-Sec never paid any attention to them unless they were suspected of robbing or loitering. Yet as Shepard walked up to the front desk she knew whom he would ask to see. A Turian occupied the front desk. He looked as if their being here was an extreme annoyance. Of course he didn't even recognize Tali's existence. Tali jumped as she felt a hand grasp her own. It took her a moment to realize it was Shepards. In turn she tightly squeezed.

"Whats up Tali, I know something must be up, you have the look about you." of course he noticed.

"Yea don't look around like this is some kind of death sentence, I did work here once after all." Said Garrus. Tali almost forgot he was even there, yet she knew she had to come up with some kind of comeback.

"No wonder security improved when you left." She said

"Your just jealous. I'd be too if I were you so you needn't worry." Garrus' snicker was enough to make her pummel him. Still thinks he's all that.

The Turian grunted to remind them he was still there. If I Turian could frown he was doing it.

"May I help you?" He said.

"Yes I would like to see Captain Bailey. This is about the incident in the presidium today." Said Shepard.

The Turian looked at Shepard for a few moments and then activated the device in front of him. The screen turned yellow as he made his call.

"Captain Bailey you have visitors, do you want to see them?" The Turian said.

"Send them in." was the response from the device. The Turian slowly pressed a few buttons and the red light on the door just beyond his desk turned green.

"Thank you." said Shepard. After getting no response they preceded to the door. On the other side was a large room with several desks scattered about. They went right over to the one they knew was Bailey's

"Oh its you Shepard, how may I help you?" said Bailey. In response Tali realized that everyone else in the room was now paying attention to them. Tali started to play with her hands as Shepard talked to Bailey. While they talked about the days events Tali noticed something that made her heart skip a beat.

"Shepard!"

* * *

In all his recent interactions with C-sec, Bailey was the guy Shepard knew could help him the most. As they talked about Cerberus and the attack Bailey nodded and wrote down his report. The room they were in was very large and left no room for any real privacy. Yet that worked in Shepard's favor this time. The more people knew about the plot, the more pressure they would put on C-sec for more security. As was habit, while Shepard talked with Bailey he scanned the whole area. One desk was surrounded by a group of humans apparently arguing with a C-sec officer about something or another. Then Shepard looked at the desk right across from where they were standing. A human C-sec officer was holding a shotgun just under his desk trying to hide it from view. From the way it was pointed it would have struck Garrus straight in the chest. Shepard jumped to push Garrus out of the way a few seconds before he heard Tali's cry.

"Shepard!"

With both him and Garrus on the floor he pulled out his handgun just as the shotgun fire echoed through the room. After firing three well-placed shots on the C-sec officer, the man slumped over his desk. As him and Garrus got to their feet, Shepard heard a few more shots coming from the other room. When he looked at the window he saw the Turain that had let them in get torn apart by a wave of bullets.

"Tali, Garrus, behind me." He said as he took cover behind Baileys now overturned desk. Bailey himself was now over where the C-sec officer was holding his old shotgun.

Cerberus soldiers laying heavy fire on their position soon surrounded them. They fired back, but couldn't get very many shots in without fear of being shot themselves.

"Shepard over here!" he heard from the other side of the room. He looked over to see Bailey opening some kind of secret passage behind the old desk of the C-sec traitor.

"Tali, Garrus, to Bailey I'll cover you." Shepard rose out of cover for a second to take a few well-placed shots with his shotgun. They were not enough to kill anyone with their kinetic shields, but he did leave them staggering long enough for him and the others to reach Bailey.

Once they were inside the secret passage Bailey sealed it off from the inside. As they walked Shepard called Joker on the ship.

"Joker we have a situation, Get ready for departure."

"Shepard, I think we may have a bigger problem. Cerberus is surrounding the ship if you don't get here in 10 minutes we will not be able to take off."

Shepard looked to him companions. Tali and Garrus were walking beside him with Bailey just ahead.

"How long would it take us to get to the space port from here?"

"There's no way you would get there in any less then 30 minutes." Said Bailey.

"Damn.. ok Joker get the Normandy out of there immediately. Tell Miranda she's in charge. She knows our mission. I have faith that she can use the team to its greatest potential."

"But sir, what about you. I'm not leaving you to die!"

"Don't worry about us, we will continue the mission in our own way." Shepard looked at his companions. They both nodded their approval.

"We wouldn't want Cerberus getting control of the Normandy now will we?"

"But.. No sir. Stay safe out there." Connection with the ship was lost after Shepard heard the engines go online.

"So what's the plan? Now we don't even have a ship, and I really don't think your so called charm can wish us off world." Said garrus

"No but I'm sure yours could."

Tali grabbed Shepards hand and looked at him

"No matter what we still have what matters. A good team, and a leader we would die for."

"Still Tali, I would prefer I didn't have to die" Said Garrus.

Bailey stopped right in front of them. it was so sudden they almost ran right into him.

"I think I have something you might like Shepard." was all Bailey had to say.


	9. Chapter 9

**"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."**  
**- Leon Joseph Suenens**

Miranda's Desk was neat and organized. More so then any other part of the ship she was sure. The room itself was top notch; the outside wall had a large window that was often occupied by a vast starscape. The whole room was a great motivator for when she had to work or relax alike.

Currently Miranda was looking at her messages. She was scrolling through the junk in hopes of finding mail she actually cared about. Searching her mail was only a subconscious motion however. Her mind was fully occupied on the mission. Shepard was taking a lot longer then she figured it would take for him to finish what he needed to do on the Citadel. She kept doing the calculations in her head; giving him more then enough time to account for the possibility of slowed walking conditions. He still should have been here at least an hour ago.

As if on cue the intercom can to life.

"The commander has made contact, id suggest you listen in." came the robotic monotone of EDI. Miranda had the call wired to her speakers. While she couldn't participate in the conversation at least she would hear what was going on and hopefully put her worries to rest.

The call was bad from the start. Cerberus was after them. She knew Cerberus personally; she was with them ever since she escaped from her father. For years she understood and agreed with Cerberus. That was before she met Shepard. Commander Shepard has a way of changing people's lives, for the better in her mind.

The call ended and the engines burst to life in a moment. Miranda was still in shock over the final decision.

"We are leaving Shepard behind." she couldn't believe it "He would never leave any of us behind, this doesn't feel right."

"EDI inform everyone that we are having an emergency meeting in the mess hall, twenty minutes."

"Understood."

Joker had difficulty getting to the mess hall. Even with the help from many of the crewmembers it still took he much longer than he liked. Joker never let his condition hinder him, he proved himself above and beyond. He had to if he wanted to be notice over all the other young and healthy recruits in training camp. Even now, surrounded by the best of the best he had to show his worth. Everyone knew now about what happened on the Citadel. Miranda wanted everyone to listen to the call before the meeting.

"Now I know none of us wanted to leave Shepard, Tali, or Garrus behind. Let me assure you that Shepard was right however."

"If Shepard commander thinks it wise, this Platform will perform designated tasks." Said Legion. Many others nodded their agreement.

"If we will have any hope of defeating the reapers we are going to have to split up. I will be creating teams tonight. I will be expecting daily updates to my computer on the Normandy. Hopefully I will be able to get in contact with Shepard as well."

"It seems ill be running all around the galaxy before this is done." said Joker.

"That is what you signed up for when you joined up wasn't it?" Said Samara

"Stupid of me huh?"


	10. Chapter 10

_"If I had been censured every time I have run my ship, or fleets under my command, into great danger, I should have long ago been out of the Service and never in the House of Peers." ~Horatio Nelson_

Bailey was nothing more then a lifesaver. The Normandy was now way out of Shepard's reach. While he had no worry of its safety while Miranda was in charge; he still needed the transportation in order to continue on his own journey. It was much too important to up on now.

That was why a smile slipped on Shepard's face as he eyed the freighter that sat before him. It was large, meant to carry many boxes of cargo to its destination. All that it would need to carry now however were the four people standing beside it. The freighter itself was nothing special. It was very boxy and had no efforts made toward a stylish appearance. Hence for that reason Shepard decided it was perfect.

"How do you like the Origin? She's nothing special, but just what we need to get off world." Said Bailey

"I didn't realize you'd be joining us," said Garrus.

"Well I did just save your ass. Seems fitting to me."

The two of them entered the ship. It was probable that their conversation would continue inside. Shepard didn't care however because right at the moment Tali jumped him. As he held her in his arms she giggled through her helmet. It gave off a slightly robotic tone to her laughter and it made Shepard smile. He tapped his forehead to her helmet and smiled deeper.

"It looks like everything will work out after all" Said Tali. Her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

"And we have much to do my dear." That must have struck a cord because Tali's eyes seemed to brighten up and he could almost swear he saw a smile under her visor.

After setting her down they both made their way to the ship. Shepard had a few plans for what to do next but he wanted to talk it over with the others first. Once inside the freighter he noticed how open it was. This was clearly not intended for passengers. Garrus and Bailey were still talking. This time however the subject seemed to change over to C-sec in general. Garrus was deep in conversation about his time with C-sec. the frustration and red tape that always seemed to bother him so. Bailey agreed talking about time when he bent the rules. Shepard was a prime example for this as Bailey reminded Garrus about how he reinstated Shepard into the system after everyone thought he was dead.

"Could I please get everyone's attention?" Said Shepard. Once the conversations ended he spoke again. "I know we need to get off the citadel, but I don't want us to just be flying blind out there. We need a plan of action and I thought the place to start would be to find out where bailey needs to go. After that we are going to have to find a new ship and figure out where to go next."

"That's all good but I was kind of hoping I could join you." Said Bailey. "I have spent a long time sitting in my office. I feel I could help you, and the galaxy if I give you my support."

"That's noble of you. However you might not realize how dangerous it could get with us." Said Shepard

"Where else would I go? If I'm not at the citadel I might as well help out where I can. Think of it this way, if I tag along you don't have to worry about getting a new ship or straying from your original path. Everyones happy."

"I think we should let him stay. Another C-sec officer never hurts." Said Garrus.

Tali began to lean on Shepards side. When he looked at her she nodded her approval. He nodded back.

"Ok, welcome to the team. The next order of business is to decide where we go from here."

"Cerberus needs to be taken down a notch." Said Garrus.

"What with just the four of us?" Said Bailey. "That's suicide even for us."

"I agree, we don't even have time for them. The Reapers are coming. We need a worthy force to challenge them." Said Shepard.

Tali squeezed Shepards hand. "What about the Quarian Fleet?" It was true that the Quarians curse had also created one of the biggest Fleets ever constructed.

"That seems like a solid idea. How do we find the Quarians however?" Said Garrus

"Trust me I can find them, just get us off the citadel and fly to the nearest mass relay. Once you reach it I promise I will have the coordinates."

For a brief moment they all just stood there looking at Tali. Shepard had a huge grin on his face by that point.

"You heard the lady, lets get ready to head out!"

_**Hope you enjoy where this is heading. If anyone has any input on what they think i should include in the near future please give me a comment. I would love to give you what you are looking for as long as it fits into where my story is heading. And to everyone who takes the time to read this, I thank you.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_"Love is the ultimate expression of the will to live." ~ Tom Wolfe__  
_

The Migrant Fleet was a sight to be seen. Its ships filled up the sky blocking out everything else. Shepard had seen the fleet before and yet it always left him in awe. To think that the whole Quarian race resided on these ships was both amazing, and sad. He knew that if he wanted their ships he would need to find a place for the women and children to be safe, and that was what bothered him most of all. An arm grasping his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to see Tali looking up at him.

"The Admirals have agreed to see us."

Shepard turned to face Tali, his hands slid down to her sides

"I guess that means we need to get going." Said Shepard.

"Well we don't have to go right away do we?"

By this time Tali was looking at her hands as they weaved in between each other. Shepards hand found her chin and gently pushed it up so she was looking at him once more

."We can spare some time." Said Shepard as he winked at his girlfriend.

"oh Keelah." she said as he gently pushed them onto What he made into his bed. Their fingers started to explore each other's bodies. Tali let out a few giggles that made Shepard smile deeply. He could think of no one that he would rather be with at this moment or any moment for the rest of his life. They were laying side by side looking deep into each others eyes. They were so distracted that they didn't notice when Garrus came in to get them.

* * *

Garrus walked in saw the two of them and quickly turned to walk away. The Turian equivalent of a smile passed his lips. _I will be sure to use this against them later. _He thought to himself. _I'll let them enjoy themselves. Then I'll send Bailey in. should be fun. _

Bailey spent the last 20 minutes talking to the Quarian Guards after assuring them that they all had full body suits and would get them decontaminated before entering the fleet; he was finally able to gather up Shepard and Tali. Garrus seemed alittle strange when he told Bailey to get Shepard. He was sure that Garrus must have been preoccupied with one thing or another so decided to put his suspicion out of his mind. There was a section of the Freighter that was designated as Shepards cabin. It was towards the end of the ship, which gave Bailey plenty of time to think. It was too much time for Baileys own liking however. When he finally made it he stopped dead in his tracks.

He could clearly see pieces of Tali's Envirosuit as well as a few immuno-boosters and vaccines scattered across the floor. A blanket was thrown over them so that Bailey could only see the lumps of their bodies under the covers. Before he could do anything however Garrus grabbed him and pulled him to the side. Garrus started to laugh uncontrollably

"You should have seen the look on your face. Anyway I guess we should wake up the lovebirds."

"We can't just walk in there though. They're...well they're indecent. "

"We don't need to even enter the room Bailey."

Garrus turned and walked away. Before he got too far however he yelled

"Wake up Shepard! I'll give you ten minutes."

* * *

Shepard was resting besides Tali. Neither of them were sleeping, but they were not awake either. He felt bad about getting Tali sick, but she was insistent on feeling their skin touching as they cuddled close. He couldn't blame her; this was amazing.

As was all too common these days his thoughts were interrupted. This time it was from the all too familiar sound of Garrus. Realizing they were caught Tali scrambled to get back into the safety of her suit. Shepard couldn't remember the last time she moved that fast. He didn't even think she moved that fast when they were running from the collectors. Shepard had to fight back his urge to laugh. Tali caught on however and gave him a dirty look.

"You bosh'tet" Tali said.

She was trying to act pissed off but before long she had her suit on and turned around to give Shepard a hug.

"I better go see Garrus. I'll meet you at the airlock. "

"Looking a little sick are we Tali?" Said Garrus.

"Shut up!" she said. Tali then proceeded to push Garrus on his shoulder. Suddenly she let out a sneeze that caused Garrus to burst into laughter. That laughter received a dirty glance from Shepard.

"Come on john, its funny."

Shepard rolled his eyes as he passed his friend and followed Tali out of the airlock and into the Rayya.

"Have fun you two" said Garrus just as the doors slammed in his face.

* * *

The Rayya was a huge ship. Yet Shepard could see how crowded it was already. As they walked its halls he noticed all the cubicles that served as housing for the inhabitances. Each little cubicle was covered with colored sheets. They were of all different colors and patterns and were clearly the only form of privacy anyone on this ship seemed to have.

Tali let out a small sneeze that effectively got Shepards attention.

"Are you ok Tali?"

"Yea I will be fine. Minor cold symptoms. totally worth it." She nudged his side and grabbed his hand. The Quarians on the ship would disapprove he was sure but he didn't try to let go. Tali knew exactly how her people would react, and he was not going to hide their relationship over politics and Quarian disfavor.

It didn't take all that long for them to reach the Admirals. they were all standing in the same position Shepard remembered seeing them the last time he visited. of course the last time they were convicting Tali of treason. Shepard knew that he had Admiral Zaal'koris in his pocket but the others were anybodies guess. He was sure with Tali's help he could probably get Admiral Shala'rann on his side and that just left Daro'xen and Han'gerrel. Daro was a lost cause knowing how deeply she wanted to control the geth. Han however had the possibility of being convinced as long as the safety of the fleet was seen to benefit greatly from this peace.

Once Shepard and Tali took their places facing the Admirals the talks began.

"So Shepard, Tali informed us you wanted to talk about geth relations." said Shala

"A complete waste of time if you ask Me." said Han

"I don't know, maybe Shepard has some resources that can help us control them again." said Daro.

Before anyone else could put in his or her input Shepard addressed Daro.

"Let me make myself very clear. The Geth are not to be controlled." then turning to Han "And we do not have to destroy them ether. I am here to attempt to broker an alliance between the Geth and Quarians. Nothing more and nothing less."

"An alliance with the very creatures that forced us off our homeworld and condemned us to these suits? That is laughable commander." said Han

"Have you ever tried to see their side of the story Admiral? It is never as black and white as you seem to want to believe." said Shepard.

"And what do you want us to believe, that what is rightfully ours should instead be equals? They are machines; our machines and we deserve to have them back." said Daro

"What you propose will only restart the travesty that your people have already endured. An alliance is the only way." Said Shepard.

"And you expect us to play nice with our biggest mistakes?" said Han

"That is exactly what we should do. The commander is right, the only way to save our people is to help the Geth." said Zaal.

"And you expect the…." just then Han was interrupted by two scared Quarians rushing into their meeting. One of the Quarians stopped to catch his breath as the other ran to the Admirals to tell them the news

"Admirals, Admirals. We have spotted two Geth Cruisers approaching the Migrant fleet!"

It didn't take long for the Admirals to rush to whatever window was closest to them Han'gerrel put his hand on the messengers shoulder.

"Tell them to prepare for battle. Get all heavy guns active and wait for my command." said Han

"um..but sir. The Geth are actually trying to establish communications."

That was when Shepard rushed over to the Admiral.

"Han this is your chance to start a peace. I'm begging you at least hear the Geth out. If they wanted you dead why would they only bring two cruisers and attempt communication. You have to listen to me!"

"Ok Shepard, but if anything goes wrong Its on your head." then to the messenger he said " set up the communications, Shepard and I will be there shortly."

Shepard came over to Tali and held her. after hitting his forehead to her visor he turned and followed Han

"Good luck" said Tali.

The vidcom was not very far away and when Shepard arrived beside Han the image began to materialize. The form was of typical Geth anatomy and yet Shepard noticed that the Geth here was different.

"Legion!"


	12. Chapter 12

_"The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power." ~ Mary Pickford_

Getting the Admirals to allow Legion aboard was no easy task. Shepard had to assure them no harm would come to the fleet, and if a confrontation began he would support them. All he could promise was that he would fight with them as long as they did not start said confrontation. In the end he got Legion on the Rayya by telling the Admirals Legion would be on guard the whole time he was on board. As soon as Legion entered the airlock Four Quarian guards trained their guns on him. Legion processed all four of them and then turned to Shepard who was waiting right in front of him.

"Shepard commander we see that you are well. XO Miranda believed you would be here."

"Is that why you are here Legion?" said Shepard

Legion looked again at the Qurians, guns still raised.

"No, we are here as representatives of Geth. We wish to talk with the Creator Admirals."

"Don't worry Legion I will help you."

"That's agreeable," said Legion.

The guard leader motioned his gun back the way they came.

"The Admirals will be waiting. Don't try anything Geth."

Legion looked at Shepard as they walked side by side down the hall. Shepard smiled in response, and nodded to Legion.

"Its good to see you Legion."

"Agreed"

The rest of the short trip went uneventful much because of the four Quarians with guns. With Legion by his side Shepard felt that his chances were much better then they were only moments ago. Legion would prove the peaceful intentions of the Geth first hand.

The Admirals had all returned to their positions before the Geth arrived. You could see the two Geth ships outside the nearby window surrounded by Quarian ships. To the Geth's credit all their weapons were powered down. This time Legion was the one directly facing the Admirals. Shepard and Tali were stationed on either side of him ready to add their input when needed. Shala was the first to address Legion.

"Welcome to the Rayya. I appreciate your cooperation in this matter."

"This doesn't however mean that we trust you." said Han

Daro and Zaal turned to look at Han. Daro nodded while Zaal seemed to roll his head in disapproval.

"I agree with Han. However I don't even see the point in this mockery of a meeting. Speaking with these machines is pointless." said Daro

"Have you forgotten how important this is Daro? The Geth could be our key home." Said Zaal.

"Or we are all being played at this very moment. I refuse to let my Guard down." said Han.

"If we may, Rannock has been preserved for future Quarian reintroduction. We would like that process to begin as soon as possible."

The Admirals all looked at Legion as if they had forgotten he was even there. The look of shock and longing could be seen even with their masks on.

"You would like to trap us on our home planet wouldn't you. Finish what you started." Said Han

"We have no desire to trap." Said Legion

"Maybe I should just examine you and see what I can find. Better safe then sorry later." Said Daro and she even began to leave her position. Shepard moved forward and stared her down.

"You will not touch Legion. I will not stand for it." Shepard held himself like a true solider; one that no one would want to mess with. Even Tali had a hand on her shotgun although she knew she would never pull her weapon on her own people. The division in her heart made her sluggish at best.

Legion simply looked at his two companions and then the Admirals. He processed all of this in seconds but did nothing.

"We wish to live with the Creators. We hope that they will join us again on the planet where we both were born."

It was surprising even for Shepard how easily Legion deactivated the tension in the room. Zaal looked at his fellow admirals and nodded to Legion.

"We are both going to have to throw away this ancient hatred. This is our planet we are talking about. It is in our reach, we simply have to give the Geth a chance." Said Zaal.

The Admirals exchanged glances

"We will vote now." Said Shala.

It would have only taken a few seconds but they never finished their voting. An explosion could be heard in the distance and shortly after a Quarian guard arrived to give them the news.

"Sir it's the Sara, at first they were simply docking onto the Rayya and next thing we knew the airlock was blasted open. We are holding them off but we cant last out forever."

"Attacked by who!" Said Han

"Cerberus."

Shepard wanted to rush to the Quarian's aid but he knew that if he didn't handle this right one of the Admirals would end up shooting Legion and all peace talks would be over. Knowing the people were dying right now bothered him, but he tried to keep his eyes on the Admirals.

" How did Cerberus get the slip on us again." said Daro "This is beginning to get embarrassing. The Geth must have helped them hack the systems and get a Quarian ID."

"Show some respect Daro. People are dying as we speak. " Said Zaal.

"She might be right. I don't like it but it's too much to be coincidental." Said Han

"These are not Geth maneuvers."

"This seems very much like the Geth to me." Said Daro

"We would prefer peace."

"And all we have to prove that is your word!" Said Han. The tensions have returned in full and the Admirals were not about to leave Legion out their sight. They needed to know he wasn't involved before they responded to the chaos that was going onboard the very ship they were on.

"I support Legion. You have my word that what he says is the truth. " Said Shepard

"I back Legion as well." Said Tali.

"You would side with a Geth over your own people?" Sneered Daro.

Tali moved to face everybody in the room.

"This is for our people! Can't you see that Legion is right?" Tali walked towards the exit of the Admiral's chamber. "We don't have time for all this debate. People are dying, we need to stop Cerberus."

Shepard smiled. He was proud of Tali and he was very amused to see the shock in the Admirals eyes. Shepard knew now was the time to finally get rid of the Cerberus bastards that dared to invade the Migrant fleet.

"Tali's right, we will head to the docking bay and hold them off. Give you time to evacuate the survivors."

"We will join you." stated Legion, and this time no one stopped him.


	13. Chapter 13

_"I have never advocated war except as a means of peace." ~ Ulysses S. Grant_

The ship was quite besides the sound of Garrus and Bailey while they played cards. Garrus was not getting the hand he was looking for, but he wasn't about to let Bailey know that. He attempted a Turian bluff and from the looks of it he succeeded. The only problem was that Bailey was incredibly hard to read as well. Garrus could not decide whether he was doing good or bad on this round. Garrus however never got the chance to find out because suddenly a loud explosion could be heard outside. The damage was not to their ship but he was sure that the Rayya must have been hit; and hard. They both threw the cards on the table and rushed to put on their full body combat suits.

"Too bad too, I was about to beat your ass." Said Garrus as they got the rest of the equipment.

"Ya, sure you were." was Bailey's response.

After a quick check to make sure they did not forget anything of importance they rushed out of the airlock and onto the Rayya. Where they were standing was deserted. Even the guards posted outside their ship were long gone. To the left on the far side of the long hallway was black smoke. Garrus was sure that was where everyone was rushing to, and many were already there. Accompanied by the smoke was the distant sound of gunfire and chaotic attempts at giving orders. Garrus looked at Bailey and they both nodded their heads in unison. Rushing down the hallway they were quickly greeted by other Quarians heading to support the fighting.

"What's going on?" said one Quarian nervously holding a shotgun in his hands.

"I'm not sure but we need to help them out regardless." Siad Garrus

When they finally reached the hull breach Garrus didn't know what to think. The Quarian forces were attempting to push Cerberus back onto the ship they were attacking from. it seemed like they were succeeding when Cerberus backtracked into cover but Garrus saw the trap.

"Stop! Stay in cover!" He said but between the noises they must have not heard him.

The Quarian defenders, now feeling confident exited their cover to push Cerberus even farther back. Cerberus however used that moment to rip threw their shields before they had a chance to enter cover. The confusion this caused added to the body count and the remaining Quarians rushed under some kind of cover as Cerberus pushed back onto the Rayya.

Garrus and Bailey took point and told whoever was in earshot to provide cover fire only. They didn't need any more unnecessary death. Garrus had another reason to keep the Quarians out of the front lines however. After the citadel he had some unfinished business with these bastards. Garrus and Bailey put the pressure on Cerberus and they were forced to push back again. from this position they decided they would hold Cerberus until they could get any information from Shepard. the communicator wasn't connecting them to Shepard however. Garrus assumed he must have turned it off once he got into the Admirals quarters.

The rest of the time was mostly uneventful. Cerberus attempted a few pushes but they were pushed back every time. Garrus was feeling good until the reinforcements arrived. A nearby Airlock was blown of its hinges and Cerberus troopers arrived to bring pressure back on Garrus, Bailey and the Quarians. One unlucky Quarian was even leaning on that airlock for cover when it exploded, killing him instantly.

Then came the second explosion. It seemed to come from the opposite direction. Cerberus was attempting to divide Quarian forces by opening up a new front. A solid plan especially since Garrus couldn't be in two places at once.

"Garrus come in. I repeat Garrus come in, this is Shepard." the communicator blared in Garrus' ear.

"I hear you Shepard. Bailey and I are held up at the location of the first hull breach. I heard another come from the other side however."

"Yes I heard it too. do you have your location covered? If so Legion Tali and I will head to the opposite side and support the Quarians held up there."

"Legion is here? How? Well never mind that's good news. Of course I have it covered over here. Id think you know me better then that Shepard."

"Good, keep in radio contact we are arriving at the battlezone now, Shepard out."

"Ya-ya" Garrus took out a few overconfident Cerberus troopers.

It wasn't long before Quarian reinforcements arrived. Garrus was about to tell them to stay in cover and stay out of the way. He changed his mind however when he saw a familiar suit.

"Kal'Reegar! Haven't seen you since Haestrom."

"Good to see you Garrus, but do you suppose we could talk after Cerberus is dead." A few rounds nearly missed him and he ducked deeper into cover.

"Oh come on! Combat is the best time to talk, your just doing it wrong." Garrus rose out of cover to take out an advancing trooper before getting back into cover.

"Good to see you Garrus." was all that Kal said.

The battle for the Rayya continued.


	14. Chapter 14

_"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." ~ George S. Patton_

The Rush towards the second hull breach took longer then originally believed. This troubled Shepard because every second they were not on the front lines Cerberus had more room to expand. When the Hull breach was finally in view they stopped.

Shepard swore

Cerberus Troopers were stationed around the old airlock. Shepard could have taken them all out by himself, yet that wasn't what bothered him. Walking casually out in the open was Jelke. The Quarians who were bunkered down there were in cover. Unfortunately they were a bit exposed and Jelke used that to his advantage. Jelke would slowly aim his handgun with one hand and take out the Quarians in cover.

When Jelke passed by an overturned table the Quarian behind it stood up to fire at him up close. Jelke turned and grabbed the Quarian by the neck. From there he began to lift him off the ground so that his face was above his own. Placing his pistol on the center of his visor he fired into it point blank. The Quarian's visor shattered, along with his face. His body slumped and lost all of its prior movement. Satisfied Jelke threw him like a doll he no longer wanted to play with.

Tali could not continue to watch. He was treating her people like animals. Shepard put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. Tali didn't even notice. Taking her handgun out of its holster she charged.

"Tali Wait!" Shepard said as he ran right behind her.

"This platform will stay behind and ensure no Cerberus troopers intervene." Legion was unsure if it was heard in this chaos but kept with its plan.

* * *

Firing recklessly Tali advanced on Jelke. His shields however safely absorbed any shots that managed to hit him. Tali soon ran out of thermal clips and threw her pistol to the ground with force. She was now only a few feet from the smiling Jelke. He slowly raised his gun and Tali deployed an attack drone. Jelke kicked the drone like a soccer ball; but not before it took out his shields. At that moment Tali raised her Shotgun out of its holster and to his Chest. She was fast but he was faster and he hit her square in the chest with his arm. the force was enough to push her into the nearby wall.

* * *

Jelke's smile increased when he aimed his pistol at Tali. The thought of killing the one weakness that Shepard had filled him with joy. The Illusive Man couldn't help but favor him after this. His thoughts were interrupted when Shepard tackled him to the ground.

The two of them wrestled on the ground for what seem like forever. It was times like these that Jelke wished he had taken Wrestling classes when he was a kid. He was getting hit hard, but he was also doing damaged to Shepard. He would have shot Shepard if he had access to his weapon but it was too much just to keep up the pressure. Jelke elbowed Shepard in the gut and rolled so that he was on top of him. from this position he proceeded to punch Shepard in his face with as much force as he possessed. As his own blood mixed into his eyes, Jelke smiled yet again. The fight had taken a lot of his strength but he was winning.

"Get off my boyfriend!" came a nearby metallic Scream.

Jelke Turned just in time to see Tali, still leaning with her back on the wall. She had her Shotgun in her hand. At first all he felt was the force pushing him off his target and the ringing that began in his ears. Like a sudden storm his entire left arm went limp with agony. Jelke knew the battle was lost. He looked over in time to see Tali leaning over Shepard checking on him. This was his only chance and he knew it.

Examining his belt to make sure it was still functioning he was relived to discover that it was. After pressing a few buttons on his belt he was able to cloak himself. Heading back to his escape ship he cursed the entire Quarian race.

* * *

Legion took careful aim at any nearby Cerberus troopers. He was giving Shepard and Tali a bubble of protection so that they could focus their attention on Jelke. When a Cerberus trooper noticed the fight Legion simply took him out with deadly precision.

After seeing Jelke hit Tali into a nearby wall Legion put his sight on Jelke for a moment and then returned to his vigil when Shepard intervened. Legion's sniper found its way back to Jelke in time to see Tali fire her shotgun point blank into his left arm throwing him a few feet off Shepard.

Legion got the crosshairs directly in the center of his head. It would have been a clean shot. Only where Jelke was a moment ago there was now nothing. Legion put away his gun and headed down to help his friends. He knew a cloaking device when he saw it and he needed to keep an eye on the others.

* * *

Tali was in a haze of emotions. She was suffering from rage, pain, remorse, and fear for Shepard. She couldn't let Cerberus take away the only one she could ever love.

"Shepard please speak to me!" A wave of relief flooded over her when Shepard rolled over to face her. His face was bruised up badly and yet he was still smiling when he saw her. Up until that moment she had forgotten they were still in danger. After a quick sweep over the battlefield she concluded that Jelke had escaped. The knowledge of his shattered arm allowed her to accept that he got away.

Tali embraced Shepard as she helped him up.

"Kee'lah, I am glad you are ok."

"As am I my dear." Shepard managed to say. "Now please help me up so we can find the Admirals."

"But your face."

"It can wait. It was just a little beat up, nothing serious."

Tali Lifted him onto his feet and gave him another hug, greatful just to have him in her arms.


End file.
